The Lafargue Retirement Plan
November 1911: Paul and Laura Lafargue were found dead in their home in Draveil, just outside of Paris. They had committed suicide by injecting poison. Laura was the daughter of Karl Marx. She was 66, and Paul was 69.
It turned out that their suicide was the result of a ten-year plan. Or, at least, that's the story that circulated around. Ten years before, they had decided that they could either live ten years very well, or longer with more financial uncertainty. They opted for Plan A. So they mortgaged the house and divided up all they had into 10 equal parts and spent one part each year. When they had nothing left, they both took poison and checked out.
It turned out that their suicide was the result of a ten-year plan. Or, at least, that's the story that circulated around. Ten years before, they had decided that they could either live ten years very well, or longer with more financial uncertainty. They opted for Plan A. So they mortgaged the house and divided up all they had into 10 equal parts and spent one part each year. When they had nothing left, they both took poison and checked out.
The Indianapolis Star - Jan 7, 1912
Comments
Quality over quantity. A choice we're all going to have to make one of these days.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 04/23/16 at 10:49 AM
Might be the thing to do. I've got around a lousy million in annuities and other worth. Let me do some calculations... Hmmm might work without the wife and kids :ohh:
Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 04/23/16 at 11:22 AM
If life is not worth living, what's living for? To paraphrase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W_iVrXyQ4M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W_iVrXyQ4M
Posted by BMN on 04/23/16 at 12:25 PM
That sounds like the ultimate actuarial plan. "It seems that you are already at the top of the ladder in your job. According to your finances, with your salary and savings, if you want to keep the same life style at retirement, you shall die at 70." "Sounds good to me. Where's the cyanide pills?"
Posted by Yudith on 04/23/16 at 12:33 PM
Yep. The wife and kids do throw in a wrinkle. Like a lot of you, I'll have to keep hauling my sorry butt to work until they wheel me out. The up-side is I'm not wasting a lot of time on retirement planning.
Whoever said that work keeps you young lied.
Whoever said that work keeps you young lied.
Posted by Harvey on 04/23/16 at 05:12 PM
Even the best laid plans get whey laid. Every time we get ahead in the retirement savings, along comes another disaster. The current plan is simple. Work 'til I'm dead, then the wife will live with relatives in FL. Ahh, the great American dream.
Posted by GFinKS on 04/25/16 at 10:18 AM
GFinKS: Arthur Miller was way ahead of you.
Posted by Richard Bos on 04/27/16 at 02:49 PM
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Category: Death | Suicide | 1910s